The skills Lars Hansen honed on the court at Centennial secondary produced a career that spanned the globe and will now land him in B.C.'s most hallowed sports shrine.
Hansen, a former star with the Centennial Centaurs basketball team, will be among those who will be inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame at a Sept. 25 ceremony at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Hansen, 59, who was born in Copenhagen, Denmark but grew up in Coquitlam, is remembered as one of the best post players to suit up with Canada's national team. The 6'10" centre was a key member of Canada's national men's team from 1972-77, helping Canada to a fourth place finish at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
Playing his college ball with the University of Washington Huskies, Hansen was originally drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1976. Hansen eventually made his NBA debut with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979, becoming the first Canadian to ever be on an NBA championship roster when the Sonics defeated the Washington Bullets in five games.
Hansen went on to play professionally in Italy and Spain, winning the scoring title and being named player of the year in the FIBA First Division Spanish League.
Hansen will be part of the 2014 crop of inductees that also includes four-time Stanley Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist Scott Niedermayer, freestyle skiers Greg Athans and Sarah Burke, and Joanne Sargent, a key member of the Canadian women's basketball team.
Inductees in the non-athlete categories will include Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson, Dr. Jack Taunton, Robert Powell, Paul Carson, Erwin Swangard and the 1978 Doc's Blues women's softball team.
